SF&F Community Email

Good Morning Neighbor:

I find it so odd that there is a hearing of the CDCs ATSDR  today - a panel to which I serve - that I was not informed about.  I found out about it by one of our neighbors in Athens, Georgia. Please take the time to watch it online - it should be interesting!   I continue to challenge the Chemical Emergencies group with regard to the realities of how an actual chemical emergency plays out.  My greatest hope at this point is to impact the redesign of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) - this sheet follows any chemical to its destination (you can see them hanging in Home Depot near chemicals being stored).  However, this sheet is greatly lacking in guiding the safety of the community should there be a spill.  There should also be a creation of chemical command center that is notified as soon as a spill is detected and their contact number should be located on that sheet.  This command center would be staffed with learned people who know how to connect workers, responders and community members with immediate help.  

Lastly, I must say something about the chemical emergency in the Gulf.  It is sad to say but it is the exact scenario that played out here with PSC.  Government allowing industry to police themselves.  Government working only as a permitting agency and thereby gaining an income from those permits.  The community now finds out they were not protected all along.  I am greatly concerned about the the oil in the Gulf Stream - testifying researcher said that the spill could be 20 times worse than they state and we know from our experience this will be the case.  We should all be vigilant to see how we can help these long-term devastated communities.

Your neighbor,

Connie

(NEW EMAIL ADDRESS - environmentalneighbor@gmail.com

 The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science & Technology Subcommittee on Investigations & Oversight is having another hearing tomorrow.  

 

HEARING CHARTER

Preventing Harm – Protecting Health:

Reforming CDC's Environmental Public Health Practices

 

Thursday, May 20, 2010 – 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

2318 Rayburn House Office Building

 

http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2010/Oversight/20may/Hearing_Charter.pdf

 

You will be able to watch hearing live 9:00 – 11:00 EST

 

http://democrats.science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2819

 

 

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

environmentalneighbor@gmail.com

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

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PBS Alert - Tonight at 9pm

Good Morning Neighbor:

Please see the link below for the Award Winning Documentary - Food, Inc.  - this is a must for every citizen to watch that wants to be informed about Corporate Profit being placed before the Health of our Citizens!!  We continually support these corporations with our dollar to literally destroy us - we must wake-up!!!

http://www.pbs.org/pov/tvschedule/

You can input your zip code after going to this site to find out exactly when it is playing in your area.  I would love to hear your feedback.

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Fayette County Earth Day this Saturday

Good Morning Neighbor:

This year is the second annual Earth Day Festival coordinated by the Environmental Institute of Georgia to bring together the county and all of its municipalities to celebrate how we can make this world a better place.  We have close to 70 vendors this year!!  It is going to be an awesome event - please go to our website www.fayettecoearthday.org and see the flyer below!!  The City of Tyrone is hosting this event and has done a wonderful job. 

I want to thank Rawls Whittlesey - one of our great neighbors - who has given the hands-on leadership to this year's event.  She is truly one that not only talks the green talk but lives it.  In fact, she has now started her own organic delivery that I love having delivered to my home - here is the website for more information http://www.gaiasgreens.com/

There will be recycling at the festival and I especially want to note that there will be E-recycling at Tyrone City Hall so bring those computers etc....

I look forward to seeing you all this Saturday!!  

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Wrong Rhetoric??

Good Morning Neighbor:

Well, I revised our community case study and also the Vietnamese community study to fit the new format for the National Working Group.  An email was sent out from the representative of Crop Life America that he has problems with my rhetoric.  I then get emails in hopes that I do not mind liberties taken with my case studies in a rewrite.  I was told that changes need to be made in the way I say things because it would offend some of the government agencies.  Here is the email I sent back to them.

"I will be unable to attend today's call.  I know there have been many emails and liberties taken with my community case study.  There has also been some question as to the rhetoric used.  I do not serve as a part of this group to make government agencies or corporations feel comfortable with my wording.  I am here to give the facts  as to what we found to be true because we absolutely have suffered the human cost from appropriate rhetoric rather than works.  Comfort does not equal change and I only serve here for change."

So as you all can see this is turning into a total uphill battle.  I am the only member of this group from a harmed community and it appears that I will have no support in my efforts.  By appointing me to serve alone without support on the team, they can pretty much do as they wish.   And, anytime I take a stand I will be seen as the bad guy not wanting to work with the group.  This was highlighted so well in an email that I was sent in response to my email it started like this "Blessed are the peacemakers..................".  

I ask for your prayers and support as I decide next steps in my service to this project.  

Your neighbor,

Connie

P.S.  One of our dear neighbors from Florida just sent this to me - please watch.  It is about a report that was later changed because they did not like the words used -  those very words could have saved the woman who was recently killed by the Sea World whale.  

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/03/02/kaye.osha.whale.report.cnn?hpt=C2

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Neighborhood ALERT

Good Evening Neighbor:

This is not something I usually do - I always keep these emails strictly environmental but in the South Fulton and Fayette Community we have a predator on the loose and I felt it of extreme importance to get this to you.  

My daughter was walking our dog approximately a week ago when a car pulled up in front of her appearing to wait on her.  It was so suspicious that a neighbor who was driving by noticed the car and turned around and went to check on my daughter - the man then sped away.  Now today the same man fitting the same description tried to abduct a child in the Landmark area.  Please see the article below.  Please call 911 should you see this man or you see a white Lincoln Town Car mid-90s.  This predator must be caught!!!!

http://www.thecitizen.com/~citizen0/node/42193

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

The Body Burden

Good Evening Neighbor:

Since being exposed to an organophosphate at a very intense rate in the summer of 2006, I have worked hard to decrease my body burden in order that I might spare myself from cancer or a neurological disease in the future.   Living as we have since the 1930s with the high introduction of chemicals in our environment, each one of us carries within our cells toxins that our body has to fight daily to balance or destroy.  We are so chemically burdened that we now pass these chemicals on to our unborn children.  So it is up to each one of us to decide how we want to treat our bodies and if we want to increase our longevity and quality of life.  I am giving you a couple of links to help you make an educated decision.  

http://www.chemicalbodyburden.org/whatisbb.htm

http://world-wire.com/news/1001060003.html 

I have personally chosen to eat organically (meaning foods produced without pesticides or  other chemicals).  This way my body burden is increased as little as possible.  The first thing that appears to keep people from eating organically is that it is a little more expensive to purchase.  I decided I could go without those new earrings and put my health first.  Once I woke up to how I had lived in the past (never realizing that I was increasing my children's body burden by the way we shopped and cooked), I literally went to my children and apologized for not having known and would do all I could to make sure it did not happen in the future.   

There are so many benefits to living this way that I would never go back.  There is immediate weight loss just from the reduction of chemical inflammation, which goes without saying reduces your risk of many inflammatory diseases.  Also, your energy level is raised and you sleep better at night.  Your body absolutely does not have to work as hard - it is plain and simple.   

I hope you will give this some serious thought.  The only way to care for those you love and your community is to care for yourself first!!  Those aspects alone make it a priority for me.

 

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Green in South Fulton

Good Morning Neighbor:

Yesterday, I was installed as a Board of Director and V.P. of Environmental Affairs with the South Fulton Chamber of Commerce.  It is a honor to have been asked to fill this position.  I am extremely excited with all the Chamber wants to do to ensure that the South Fulton community is a healthy and vibrant community.  South Fulton deserves the very best in the businesses that are brought to our area.  And, priority needs to be given to education and encouragement with regard to incorporating green business practices to the companies who already reside in the South Metro area.  

It was great to see so many community leaders and elected officials at the meeting yesterday.  I think everyone is beginning to see we need a shared vision for the future and that environmental issues are key in any organizational structure to create a productive and progressive future.  I am so very grateful and humbled to be a part of it.  

Thank you for being my neighbor - near and far.  You are people who care about this planet and its people - living out a continual biblical truth in my book.

Your neighbor,

Connie

P.S.  A corporation that is a very active in the Chamber is the Racing Alliance who promotes the use of Biofuel.  I thought you might enjoy looking at their website below.

http://www.bfra.eyecongraffix.com/

Constance Biemiller Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Chemical Disaster Post Katrina

Good Morning Neighbor:

I am continuing my journey on the national level and learning more and more each time we have a meeting.  As you know from my last email, I submitted our community case study to the panel.  We have also been looking at another community story as a possible case study.  We have been in search of a natural disaster that in turn became a chemical disaster.  I had the opportunity to hear of  a community story that has been so very close to my heart and I hope to meet with this community in person very soon to see how we might be of help.

We all heard about the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina - what we have not heard discussed is the manmade disasters made through extremely poor decision making during the crisis.  As the waters began to rise, toxins from industry and landfills began to float through the neighborhoods and a decision was made to get rid of it by taking the toxic waste to an old landfill near a Federal Nature Preserve on the outskirts of the city.  This old landfill was never lined and in no way prepared for toxic waste.  I did not find out until my conference call yesterday from the federal agencies on the panel that EPA, OSHA etc... were released from any regulation as a part of the disaster response therefore no care had to be taken with regard to post planning and care of surrounding communities.  Now a Vietnamese community has been devastated due to the toxic leaching of this landfill.  This community lives down stream of this site and uses the canal that runs along side of the nature preserve for their fishing and watering of their gardens.  This community is very ill and is dealing with long term and generational health problems as a result of this disaster that did not need to take place!!!  I have submitted this story to CNN because I feel it is due national coverage but have yet to hear.  If you have contacts in this area, please let me know.

May our eyes as a nation continue to open - may we truly embrace change to do whatever it takes to care for our neighbors.  And, at this very moment - may we do the right thing as we give care to the Haitian people.  

My yard is your backyard and I will never forget it!!

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Three Years Ago We Celebrated

Good Evening Neighbor:

It was on this very evening three years ago that we celebrated the plugging of the PSC (Philip Services Corporation) sewer discharge unit!!!  We finally felt our community was safe at last.  I will forever be grateful to Fulton County Commissioner  - Bill Edwards and his former Chief of Staff - Dyan Matthews for all they did behind the scenes to make this happen.  

Today, what is even more amazing is that the story still continues.  I just submitted an abstract of our community story to be a case study with the National Conversation Chemical Emergencies Work Group.   I am copying it below along with attaching the handout created for the Baltimore meeting this past November.  My continued prayer is that all of this will be used for the higher good and our children and grandchildren across this nation will greatly benefit from a safer environment. 

Many blessings to you all during this Holiday Season!!

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

ABSTRACT

 

SOUTH FULTON AND FAYETTE COMMUNITY INGESTATION OF ETHOPROP EMISSIONS FROM LOCAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY

 

Submitted by Constance Biemiller Thomas – 12-18-09

 

Background:  The Philip Services Corporation (PSC) owns a wastewater treatment facility that lies on the South Fulton and Fayette County border.  The facility was originally constructed as a Fulton County plant that discharged non-toxic treated waste into the Fulton County sewer system.  This facility was later sold to a private entity and in most recent years purchased by PSC with the continued permitting for the treatment of non-toxic waste and discharge into the Fulton County sewer system. 

 

Issue:  In the summer of 2006, PSC began treating millions of gallons of a toxic substance known as Ethoprop by boiling it in large vats and aerosolizing it into the air (this is not illegal in the state of Georgia - Georgia does not recognize pesticides as a toxic waste).  This treatment took over a three-month period to complete with hundreds of people and pets becoming severally ill while this process was being conducted. 

 

Results:  The community began to demand answers from local, state and national agencies and public officials.  They formed the South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force to advocate on the communities behalf (no agency or public official has ever taken a leadership role in advocating for this community).  This group was able to lobby for the shutdown of PSC resulting in Fulton County's non-reissue of the PSC sewer discharge permit in the December of 2006.  Since this event, residents remain ill and several have died as a direct link to this poisoning. 

 

Lessons Learned:  (a) Laws must change in the state of Georgia recognizing pesticide waste as toxic substance and handled under toxic regulation.  At present, many states send their toxins to Georgia to be treated because of the lack of state laws prohibiting this procedure -resulting in 2009 Forbes Magazine naming Atlanta the most toxic city in the nation. (b) Public agencies designed to protect communities lack the necessary community advocate arm of their divisions.  A community advocate division must be created to become the bridge between the community and the accessing of public services during a toxic disaster.  This arm must be given the right to advocate on the communities behalf without repercussion by the funding entity.  The community advocate division must be given immediate funding to help communities organize for their long-term benefit.  At present, communities are expected to organize on their own and then apply to become a 501 (c) 3.  Once designated as a non-profit, they then have the ability to apply for public agency grants to help their community that has long since passed the crisis.  

Military: Burn pits could cause long-term damage to troops - CNN.com

Good Morning Neighbor:

I just saw this article and I grieve so for our military who return as a casualty of war by our own doing!!!!!  This case looks to substantiate our claim of physical illness due to toxic inhalation and how it can cause various outcomes due to genetics and lifestyle of an individual.  

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/18/military.burn.pits/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

As always, I want to hear your thoughts on these matters.

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Disturbing Reports

Good Morning Neighbor:

Well, the first report that has been disturbing for me is that my internet was not working for over a week - the modem had to be reinitialized  - which really brings home the importance of the internet and its use when fighting for justice.  I am so very grateful to have been able to reach out to all of you for over three years now so that we could come together for the higher good and it would be very difficult without this awesome technology.  

You will see below a grouping of important information - very disturbing reports!!  I highly encourage you to take the time to look all of this over.  The first report is an audio report from the BBC - extremely disturbing with regard to the pesticide poisoning in Bhopal 25 years ago.  The continued criminal behavior of both the corporation and the government is very much highlighted.  Then we have two news articles that highlight failures here in the U.S. that absolutely should not be!!  And, finally the CDC has released a National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals surveying 212 chemicals - which is a drop in the bucket compared to all the newly introduced chemicals over the past 30 years  - but absolutely points to human illness - the validity of their measurements and the action needed to no longer expose is another topic that must be raised.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p0053sqn

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/science/earth/30agency.html?_r=2&hpw 

http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/1199672.html

http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/ 

We must stay informed no matter how difficult it is to hear the truth it is the only way we can stand for TRUTH!!

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Thankful for our Community

Good Morning Neighbor:

I would like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving - a holiday I so cherish.  I am continually thankful for our community and all that we have been able to accomplish.  May you truly enjoy the day and travel safely as you journey to be with friends and family.

I know that many will begin decorating for the holidays so I wanted to include an article to remind us how we can help our environment at the same time.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2009/2009-11-20-092.asp

Blessings to all -

Your neighbor,

Connie

Constance (Biemiller) Thomas, Chair

South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force

Ph. -770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.